Product Description

Neil Fisher's first trip to Dunbridge was not a success. Having inadvertently locked himself in St Stephen's Church for hours (and succumbing to the communion wine and wafers for dinner) it seemed miraculous they gave him the curate's job! On arrival in the small town of Dunbridge it quickly becomes clear that life is not going to be tranquil for the eligible new bachelor, as four formidable women are determined to make their presence felt. There is his mother, Iris, still questioning his choice of career; his rector, the no-nonsense Margaret, who is not one for taking prisoners; Claire, his new neighbour, whom he's already managed to offend. And then there is Wendy, the beautiful leading light of the church music group, who has her own plans for Neil. It can only end in trouble.

Publisher's Description

The country church of St. Stephen's, Dunbridge, under the leadership of the formidable Rev. Margaret Prowse, is getting a new curate. The whole congregation is abuzz as the shy but earnest Neil Fisher arrives to take up his very first post.

Though intimidated by Margaret, he is determined to overcome his shyness and immediately sets out to meet the congregation. As often occurs when a man of the cloth is single, his mission becomes somewhat sidetracked when his attention is first drawn to Ros, the spiky single mum who looks after the vicarage garden, and then commandeered by Wendy, leader of the church music group, who is determined to bag herself a vicar for a husband. And if that isn't enough, he also has to contend with his opinionated mother, who strongly disapproves of her son's vocation.

Featuring a charming mix of colorful characters, Fisher of Men transports readers to the quaint village of Dunbridge where the quiet miracle of life is revealed.

This was a fun read. The author did a great job of developing all the characters so that you get swept into their lives through the eyes of Neil, the new Curate. There is plenty of charm, humor, and even some serious moments in this heartwarming story. I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book from The Book Club Network and the publishers in exchange for my honest review which I have given.

Neil Fisher is the new curate for St. Stephen's Church in Dunbridge, England. A 25-year-old bachelor, Neil is faced with all of the challenges and lessons of a new curate. Please see the book description for an in-depth synopsis of the book.

Fisher of Men is a charming story of coming of age for Neil as he transitions from student to curate, and proceeds in discovering life with its joys and disappointments. The characters throughout the book are delightful and varied, eccentric and annoying. Poignant and amusing, the story portrays humanness, wit, sensitivity and compassion. The cast of characters is eclectic. The setting is quite stunning, with descriptive elements that enhance the plot. Relationships play a very significant role in the lives of the parishioners of St. Stephen's Church. I enjoyed this easy read, but was disappointed at the abrupt ending to the book. This is not a stand alone novel, but the first in a series of books that need to be read as such. I enjoyed Neil's journey from curate to his threshold to the priesthood.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from The Book Club Network's Book Fun For Readers Only group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

This is a delightful story of St. Stephens' Parish in the town of Dunbridge, population 6 000. Neil Fisher, afraid of public speaking, is on his way for an interview with Reverend Margaret Prowse to see if he might be the man for the job as curate, and for him to see what he thinks.

The fun begins as we are introduced to Margaret and her interesting ways, along with her dear hubby Frank and their less than friendly cat, Archie. Something comes up, as it often does when one is a minister and Margaret is off. Neil goes to check out the church which like the congregation he will soon meet, comes with its own quirks. You will have to read the book to find out the unbelievable events that follow, and the reaction by Margaret and Frank.

A slew of fun, interesting and quirky characters make this a comical, yet so real read. You will laugh, you will cry, you may even shake your head in disbelief, but as the sister of a pastor/minister, trust me, life in a small town holds much more fun and entertaining situations than one might believe.

But that is just the beginning. There is also the overbearing mom, and women of romantic interest, so there is a little something for everyone.

I would definitely recommend this book. If you have not previously been a fan of books from the UK, or 'English' books, I would encourage you to press on through a couple of chapters and you will be hooked. It would have been nice to have had some of the terms explained at the back of the book, but not essential to the story. This is the first of three in The Dunbridge Chronicles, and I can't wait to read the second, which is already published and the third which is due out soon.

I was given this book by bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.

Neil felt God calling him to be a priest, to minister to a body of believers. So he arrives in Dunbridge with hope and trepidation. What he finds is a family. He might not be quite the priest that he'd like to be. But his church family will love him through it. Some a bit more than others.

This book is like reading from a pastor's diary. There are a ton of details to give the visual for the story. But I had a hard time picturing the setting. There are quite a few characters. The author has done a great job with the character development, but there were so many that I still felt lost. Because this was more of a slow moving narrative of the curate's life, the sub plots are numerous and varied. The main protagonist doesn't really have a plot, except for the mild romance that is thrown in. The story doesn't really end as much as it just stops. The curate is left with a major decision to make and the reader must read the next book before finding out what happens.

I received this book free of charge from Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.